Community Gathers To Honor Its Veterans
COOPERSTOWN—Veterans Day was overcast, but that didn’t keep residents from enjoying the parade down Main Street, or from attending the somber ceremony that followed in the shadow of the statue of a WWI infantryman at the north end of Pine Boulevard.
Chaplain Dave Jackson of Cooperstown American Legion Post 579 opened with a prayer, followed by comments from Legion Commander Mike Boyson and American Legion Auxiliary President Jeannie Turner. The full text of Monday’s ceremony is as follows:
Legion Chaplain Dave Jackson
“O God of Hosts, we bow our heads in thankfulness for the victories Thou hast granted us—to us and to those peoples who have united with us to stamp out the evils of aggression, intolerance and greed.
“We beseech Thee to bring the blessings of understanding to the families and friends, in this and other lands, of those who have given their lives that men may be free. Grant, O God, that those closest to the fallen may mingle the pain of their losses with the ennobling light of sacrifice for civilization—sacrifice for a better world for this and other generations yet unborn.
“Grant us too, O God, the courage to so live with the family of nations around the world that the end of strife will be the beginning of enduring peace. Grant us patience in planning with our fellow men and women a world in which nations may resolve their differences by peaceful means.
“Touch Thou the souls of people in every land with the enduring light of wisdom so they may form a brotherhood which will strive to further the arts of peace under laws and ethics blessed by Thy love.
“Grant us now Thy continued blessing upon unity and strength, that makes victories possible in war, that we may win greater victories of peace. Amen.”
Legion Commander Mike Boyson
“On this day, Veterans Day, we are commemorating the services of veterans of all wars.
“We remember how men and women set aside their civilian pursuits to serve their nation’s cause, defending the freedom of mankind and preserving our precious American heritage.
“We believe our strength on the field of battle, on the supply lines which nourished our armed might, lay in the justice of our cause against the forces of evil. We believe our determination made us better warriors because we fought with our minds and our hearts as well as our bodies.
“We recognize service to our country and her cause does not end with the termination of military service. We continue our endeavors in behalf of an honorable world peace with a feeling of profound gratitude to God, and to the men and women who gave their lives as their part of the cost of this noblest of causes.
“Out of blood and sweat we learned of purpose, sacrifice, tolerance, bravery and discipline. These are solid foundation stones upon which a great nation is built. In our continuing quest for an honorable world peace we must cultivate these virtues.”
American Legion Auxiliary President Jeanne Turner
“The waging of war involves more than just the combatants who fight to the death on the field of battle. The fighting forces begin at the fireside and in the hometowns. The repercussions of war’s terrible brutality have chilled the heart and dimmed the hopes and dreams of many a loved one left behind on the home front.
“While the horrors of the battlefield may not have been our experience, we have lived with the terrifying loneliness created to answer an aggressor’s challenge.
“In waging war, we have moved forward with a unity of purpose which made us strong, forgetting pettiness, egotism and pride. Our hearts beat in tune with those in other nations fighting for freedom and the dignity and opportunity of mankind. In our constant quest for an honorable world peace, there is need for unity of purpose if we truly are to move toward a brighter tomorrow.”